THE QUEEN'S LOVER

The tragic story of Marie Antoinette is well known, but somewhat less so is the story of her Swedish lover, Count Axel von Fersen. Narrated by Edoardo Ballerini, THE QUEEN’S LOVER tells the story of the lovers’ meeting and the French Revolution from Fersen’s point of view. Recounted through Fersen’s fictional memoirs—written after the events in question—and the notes his sister makes about them, the story is somewhat dry. The memoir device means that there’s no dialogue between characters, only Fersen recounting what he remembers of what happened. Ballerini’s narration is a bright point, adding a level of emotion that might otherwise be difficult to detect in the text. J.L.K. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2012]